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3 Days in Montreal

I&#39;ve lived in Scotland for most of my adult life but am now largely based in Montreal, Canada.
I&#39;ve been a travel writer for over a decade and have worked on projects big and small: from guidebooks through magazine and newspaper articles to apps and website content.
Even when not working I&#39;m always exploring – usually on one of my ten bicycles.

Montreal is Canada's buzzing second-largest city and the world's largest francophone city outside Paris. It's a place of distinct neighborhoods, gritty suburbs, hectic traffic, wild parks and many new immigrants from every corner of the world. All this makes Montreal rewarding but tricky to explore — yet three days is enough to get good insight. This three-day itinerary takes you to the heart of Old Montreal, where the city began, for much of the first day; the second day is spent exploring Mount Royal, a huge urban park, along with major Downtown sights; the third day looks at more disparate sights, particularly those gathered around the former Olympic park just north of the city.
This itinerary is designed for summer, so be aware that not everything will be open in winter.

Built in 1656, this is Montreal's oldest church and a key Old Montreal landmark. Inside, the blaze of carvings, sculptures and stained glass may be a little gaudy for some tastes, but they're certainly impressive and unmissable.

Good for

Must See

Solo

Friends

History Buff

Couples

Senior

Tips

The church is a regular venue for extravagant sound and light shows, organ recitals and choral performances; check its website for the most recent schedule.

Once the city's commercial hub, the Old Port is now a very stroll-able area, not least because special events often take place here. But there's always an interesting cityscape to appreciate too: from gritty defunct port buildings to pretty venerable old townhouses, plus there are views over the expansive St-Lawrence river towards the iconic Jacques Cartier Bridge.

Good for

Must See

History Buff

Tips

River cruises depart from here in summer, while in winter there's outdoor ice-skating.

For a rewarding look at the city's humble beginnings, visit this archaeology and history museum. The collection includes all sorts of First-Nations and early settler artifacts, as well as some excavated city foundations.

The city's own mini-mountain, Mount Royal is really three adjacent peaks that rise about 200 meters, just east of Downtown, to provide fantastic views of the city. It's Montreal's central park, so it's appropriate that it shares the same designer (Frederick Law Olmsted) with its New York cousin. The path up from Mount Royal's northern side is named after him and the ideal route up from the Plateau neighborhood to the Kondiaronk Lookout at the top.

Good for

Peace and Quiet Seeker

Must See

Thrifty Traveller

Nature Lover

Tips

Depending on the season, you can rent paddleboats or ice skates at Lac des Castors, a lake near the summit of the mountain.

Montreal's prestigious McGill University lies on the eastern foot-slopes of Mount Royal, on land donated by Scottish-born fur trader James McGill. The campus was built in grand Victorian style in the early 19th-century and is worth walking through along Rue Peel, which leads Downtown.

Good for

Solo

Friends

Like a Local

History Buff

Couples

Senior

Tips

The university museum, Musée Redpath, is a creaky old institution, but it's free and its natural history section includes a dinosaur skeleton and Egyptian mummies far from home.

Probably Montreal's most revealing and intriguing street, Sainte Catherine travels north from the ritzy Westmount neighborhood, through Downtown, where it's the city's main shopping street, and on to its sleazier northern end where strip clubs rub shoulders with the chic haunts of the Gay Village.

Good for

LGBT

Shopping Fanatic

Tips

Montreal's premier department store, Ogilvy is at #1307 and worth a visit for its venerable sense of style.

Montreal has a reputation as a city of art, with its low rent neighborhoods offering studio space to the creative. While not offering much to keep kids happy, this is its foremost exhibition space and well worth a look.

Good for

Peace and Quiet Seeker

Solo

Friends

Couples

Senior

Art and Architecture Lover

Tips

Free English-language tours run at 6.30pm Wednesdays and at 1pm and 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

The museum is part of the Place des Arts, a cultural complex which also houses six concert halls, so it's well worth checking if anything of interest is on while you're here.

The permanent collection is rather small and temporary exhibits change frequently - call ahead to check if there's something interesting showing during your visit.

A glorified mall to some but a refuge from severe weather for many, Montreal's Underground City is a 30 kilometer labyrinth of climate-controlled subterranean passages. They are replete with restaurants, shops, cinemas, museums and metro stations.

Good for

Foodie

Solo

Friends

Couples

Senior

Shopping Fanatic

Tips

Look for blue signs at street level to find entrances; below things are well signposted, but expect to get lost all the same!

Arguably Montreal's finest museum, this is a must for art lovers, with all sorts of European heavyweights and Old Masters represented (including Rembrant, Picasso, Monet). It's also strong on Canadian art from Inuit artifacts to the likes of Paul Kane and the Group of Seven.

Montreal's Olympic Park hails back to the 1976 games and while nothing much of the games themselves remains, its remarkable leaning tower makes it well worth a stop-off. It's the world's largest inclined structure (190 meters at 45º) and views from the top are breathtaking.

Good for

Must See

History Buff

Tips

Tours of the complex are offered and you can travel up a funicular to the top of the tower for impressive city views. A huge swimming complex is located here, too.

Montreal's Olympic Velodrome has been put to a new and novel use here as an indoor wildlife park. Several ecosystems are recreated here — from tropical forest to temperate woodlands and rivers to the polar world — complete with animal inhabitants which range from sloths to penguins.

Good for

Must See

Thrill Seeker

Nature Lover

Tips

A combination ticket is offered with the Montreal Botanical Gardens and a shuttle bus runs between the two (May-September).

Among the finest in the world, Montreal Botanical Gardens boasts 22,000 species in 30 outdoor gardens as well as an Insectarium where bugs of all shapes and sizes (most dead and mounted) inspire mixed emotions! Temporary art exhibitions and the like often provide an added attraction.

Good for

Peace and Quiet Seeker

Must See

Nature Lover

Tips

A trolley tours the giant park allowing you to hop on and off at various locations, giving your legs a much needed rest.

Worthwhile free guided tours leave from the reception center at 10am and 1.30pm most days (except Wednesdays and October).

This exceptional outdoor food market is in a class of its own, as well as being primely located in the vibrant Little Italy neighborhood. A great place to find ingredients for a picnic lunch or enjoy local cafe fare.

Good for

Foodie

Solo

Friends

Like a Local

Couples

Senior

Shopping Fanatic

Tips

To get here by public transport from the Olympic Park/Botanical Garden area, take the Metro to Jean-Talon (change at Berri). Trains leave every 7mins; journey time around 40 min.

Finish your day of city sightseeing with a new angle on some now-familiar places, on this 90-minute boat trip that passes beneath the impressive Jacques Cartier bridge. It also provides a view of some of the St Lawrence River islands and their attractions.

Good for

Nature Lover

Tips

Other operators run from the next quay along, including an outfit that run speedboat tours on local rapids.

The same company also offer a morning Brunch cruise and a 4 hour-long evening cruise with a DJ and dancing.